Chinese business people visit county

Staff Photo by Vinny Tennis
Chris Alonzo, left, owner of Pietro Industries, shows members of a Chinese delegation the difference between the growing soil and the peat moss at Pietro Mushrooms in Kennett on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2013. A delegation from the Chong Qing province of China were in the United States touring various agriculture locations.

In the spirit of business development and cooperation, a delegation of 25 business people from the Chongqing region of China and from Beijing visited Chester County this week as part of the Sino-American Regional Business and Culture Exchange.

The cross-cultural meeting extended from Monday through Wednesday and was hosted by Chester County Commissioners along with the Chester County Economic Development Council and the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry. Chester County-based ABD International and the Main Line Chinese Culture Center initiated the connection between Chester County and Chongqing and other regions in China.

The delegation experienced a different theme each day.

On Monday, the Chinese delegates experienced the theme of business and industry and began their day with Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell at the Economic Development Council.

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Farrell said he was approached with the idea by the ABD International and the center and was excited about the opportunity.

“I’m all about economy and jobs,” Farrell said. “And China being the next front, I sort of jumped at the opportunity.”

Later on Monday, the delegation visited QVC – which recently launched a channel in China – and then toured West Chester.

Education and manufacturing were the subjects of Tuesday’s events with trips to the Westtown School and West Chester University.

The entire trip was coordinated by Sue Cheng, president of ABD International, who used her connections in China to arrange the cultural exchange.

Cheng, a native of China who started the business in March, said ever since she adopted the United States as her second home when she moved 20 years ago, she was looking for a way to bridge the cultures and help both.

“I really love America and China to so I thought what I can do to help both,” Cheng said. “Chester County is my second home, I started my family here and I really love this place.”

Cheng said she is happy to see how everything is working out and is interested in pursuing future exchanges, but the relationship is only now in its infancy.

Cheng said many larger corporations already have footholds in China, but for medium and smaller businesses in Chester County, she hopes the exchange will help them build relationships which could bloom into business opportunities.

“We will continue. The most important thing is this is the initial step; there is a lot of work we have to do to follow up and then it will help them move forward,” Cheng said.

On Wednesday, agriculture and tourism were highlighted with a visit to Pietro Industries to see how mushrooms are grown, followed by a tour of Longwood Gardens.

Chris Alonzo, owner of Pietro Industries, said the delegation expressed curiosity in the mushrooms and asked many questions concerning the growing process.

Alonzo said during the tour of the facility he showed them how the company grows mushrooms in the aluminum shelf Dutch-style facility and the mechanization process to harvest them.

“I enjoy showing people how mushrooms grow,” he said. “When you spend your whole life doing something it’s nice when people appreciate something that’s new and different.”

The delegation was interested in the area as the mushroom capital of the world and sought to learn more about how the company packages, ships and gets the mushrooms ready for sale.

“I think it’s a great goodwill thing,” Alonzo said of the experience.

The delegation asked Alonzo if he was willing to help them with growing facilities in China, as the Chinese population grows and seeks health-conscious options.

Alonzo said he learned how much the Chinese consumption of fruits of vegetables is growing. Recent statistics have the figure at about 10 percent per year.

The three-day summit culminated with the Chester County International Business Council dinner at Longwood Gardens, where the Chinese delegates networked with business leaders from across Chester County.

Farrell attended many of the events with the delegation and was optimistic about future partnerships, though it might be too early to say what outcomes Chester County could expect.

“This is sort of the planting of the seed,” Farrell said. “There are some companies already in Chester County that do business in China. The idea would be to expand our exports or have Chinese companies have a relationship and want to invest in Chester County.”

Farrell said the county is looking to possibly send a delegation to China for a similar experience next year.

About the Author

Jeremy Gerrard is the Daily Local News' reporter covering the West Chester area and local school district. Jeremy is a Chester County native and a graduate of Auburn University. Reach the author at jgerrard@dailylocal.com
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